DIY Sneaker Espadrilles

Been eying off a pair of sneaker espadrilles? I know I have! They are the perfect casual vacation shoe – effortlessly cool with a bit of a boho vibe. However, I often can’t bring myself to spend lots of money on something I could try making myself, so that’s exactly what I did – a DIY project.

These espadrilles turned out almost better than I expected and I’ll definitely be getting the use out of them. Super simple to make and easy to wear! All it takes is a cheap pair of plain sneakers and some jute.

Firstly, it’s worth noting that my sneakers were flatforms – the soles were slightly thicker than a normal sneaker. If you can, try finding a flatform sneaker for this project. Because the soles are thicker, it stops the ‘bend’ you would naturally get with a shoe when you walk. Without this bend, your espadrilles should last longer as there will be less tension on the jute.

Make sure your shoes are clean and dry. Starting on the inner side of your shoe sole, from the bottom up, draw a line with the hot glue onto the rubber and press the jute ribbon on top. Leave an extra cm or two free at the start of the ribbon that will later be covered up (this will stop the end from fraying, unravelling or showing). Work your way around the shoe with the hot glue and jute ribbon in small sections, so that the hot glue doesn’t dry out. When you’ve done one full ‘lap’ around your shoe sole, start the second lap by gluing over the end of the ribbon that you started with to secure it.

Keep going in ‘laps’ until you’ve covered the whole rubber side section. If your soles are thinner in some areas (mine were thinner at the front), its ok to overlap the jute in these spots.

To finish, cut the jute ribbon and dab some glue on the end to stop it fraying.

That’s it! Half an hour later you will have yourself a new pair of sneaker espadrilles! I love that this DIY is so easy for anyone to complete but makes such a difference. If you like, you can finish your shoes with a spray of waterproofing to help them stay clean.